Cheap Electronic drum kit | what is there puropse

The cheap electronic drum kit is one which now is available in most music stores however how does it match up with its comparison, the original drum kit? Well as a musician, I don’t actually have a personal favourite. It’s actually quite funny because when people first read about or hear about a cheap electronic drum kit they instantly assume that, there is no need to make an electronic version to the drum kit when real drums work so well. The cheap electronic drum kit I am talking about isn’t one in particular; there is a range of the electronic drum kit’s which means that the competition for companies and manufactures making them is hard, they cheap electronic drum kit companies are constantly pushing boundaries to make their cheap electronic drum kit’s some of the best ones. For example when the electronic drum kit’s first came out they have a velocity curve, so that depending on how hard you hit the drum the sound would be either louder, or quieter. Then Roland released their electronic drum kit and not only did the strength of hitting it change in volume, it also changed in timbre and sound. It would obviously sound harsher when hit harder, and softer when hit more calmly. This raises another question I find difficult to understand. Are the manufactures that create the electronic drum kit aiming to create a new hybrid product that has the possibility to create new sounds, or is it merely just trying to imitate what a real drum kit can do. If the latter then why would they create such features, such as velocity sensitive pads, that change in timbre, like a real drum kit. Electronic drum kit manufactures are struggling to find where they are going whilst they are making these electronic drum kit’s. I think for the electronic drum kit to be any use it needs to go in a different direction to the non- electronic drum kit or its durability within the industry will be an unfortunate and limited one. Roland seem to be the manufactures that are making the best, or the most widely used electronic drum kit’s but it seems they (like the other producers) are going in a direction that has no market for. Its like making synthesizer to sound like real instruments, what is the need in the professional industry where people would much rather have the real thing. The only plus is that you wouldn’t have to pay for a string quartet should you plat it on a keyboard. However with a drum kit there has to be a drummer either way, with a cheap electronic drum kit or a non electronic drum kit. Well I they are good to use but I’m just very interested and sceptical over what direction they will turn.